I tested my 5300 using the test pattern posted on this forum somewhere. I forget what the pattern is called. It was the simple one with color bars. It passes if the input is set to PC, otherwise not. The display then uses "native" color space which my testing shows is not correct for playing DVD's using the computer, but the display looks so much better with everything else this way, this is how I run it.

PC mode also keeps the backlight from shutting off automatically when the screen goes full black which is a good thing, as this feature is not implemented properly. Meaning in non-PC mode, sometimes a fade to black ends up with the backlight blinking on and off when it should stay off. I did not notice how many fade to blacks there are in movies until watching in non-PC mode where this unit would flash on and off. Even if it did not flash, turning the backlight off took me out of the movie. I think this feature should have like a 15 second delay to be used as a screen blanker. That way if playing audio only, it will shut off, or if you set the screen saver to black, it will shut off. I wish that it was possible to use an input for audio only. If an input does not have a video signal, it cannot be selected. I saw nothing in the service menu to change this.

I like that you can actually use the light sensor on this model because you can set the minimum backlight and the maximum backlight. The regular backlight setting is what will be used when it is light, and the minimum setting is what is used when it is dark. This works really well. Sometimes it will go back and forth maybe two to three times when the light is right on the edge, but overall it works really well. It lowers the backlight when I would do it.

Have you figured out whats the difference between "PC" and "DVI-PC" ? Im guessing its just audio support but I could be wrong. I really like the colors on the screen Im using it with standard color mode, and color temp to standard and added a -3 Blue offset to remove the blue tint on whites.

I havent seen the backlight go totally off since Im just using is in PC mode, I also like the ambient light sensor it perfectly works on my end so far and like how subtle the increase and decrease is as you cannot notice that the screen suddenly went bright! A really great value for the a 32" PC monitor! Got it for $484.

As far a I know "DVI-PC" only switches the audio input to the analog audio input. This is how I am using it. I have a new Mac Mini and it sounds far better using the analog output. I am using an AudioQuest Evergreen interconnect. These are really nice sounding budget interconnects.

I made a multi-output device and use only the built in input with "drift correction" enabled. This makes it a line out (no volume control) and it sounds much better this way. The drift correction makes it sound better also, but this is a much more subtle change.

Making a multi-output device and using the built in output for the clock with drift correction enabled for the built in output and the HDMI output improves the HDMI sound a decent bit, but it is still no where close to the line out.

I am using standard mode with warm 2. It still seems to be a little blue to me, mainly in low light movie scenes. Haven't tweaked here yet.

I have backlight at 20, contrast at 100, brightness 45, sharpness 50, gamma 0, haven't played with the white balance, standard mode, warm 2. I think this is just about all the settings I can adjust in PC mode.

I like standard sound mode with the TruSurround HD on. The TruSurround HD seems to give some depth to the sound. I have the equalizer 2 steps up at 10k - gives a little more air. I did notice that the left speaker seems to sound much better than the right. I have the balance 2 steps to the right to compensate. The 5000 I listened to at Best Buy also had the left speaker sounding much better than the right. I might understand why when I take it apart.

In the service menu, you can shut off the speaker DSP which really makes a lot of difference (for the worse mostly). If I remember correctly mainly because the bass will rattle the whole TV when you do this even at normal listening levels. There is a lot of DSP going on with the speakers.

You can also shut off the Energy Star logo in the menus. If only you could shut of the LED TV power meter logo that comes up when you press the info button. That thing annoys me. I do not want advertisements built into the TV.

The 5300 has a nice backlit remote. You can shut the backlight totally off or when it is on, it lights for a while when a button is pressed. I have been posting in both the 5000 and 5300 threads. I am not sure where I am posting now, so just throwing this out there. I really think that the 5300 gets quite a bit more for the extra $30. Another HDMI input. 2 HDMI on the back instead of the side. Backlit remote. The Wi-Fi stuff which I do not use. And it has two USB ports on the side. One which you can hook a hard drive up to. I tend to not use all this stuff, but might.

Im just using the TV as a PC monitor, all of my audio is done by my Z-5500 which is connected to my computer. Warm1 is turns whites into yellows while Warm2 is just plainly unusable for me. Im guessing this is all about factory calibration. There are no energy star logo's on my TV menu.

I tested my 5300 using the test pattern posted on this forum somewhere. I forget what the pattern is called. It was the simple one with color bars. It passes if the input is set to PC, otherwise not. The display then uses "native" color space which my testing shows is not correct for playing DVD's using the computer, but the display looks so much better with everything else this way, this is how I run it.

The inputs other than PC have a Color Space setting to use Auto or Native.

Disclaimer: I don't endorse any particular brand. Purchasing electronics is a compromise.
Brand selection may not be a main consideration.

I was doing the input lag test on the 32EH5000 vs Samsung T220 and I noticed that the TN monitor clearly has a superior off viewing angle on the horizontal plane, though a slight off center view on the TN monitor already shows a side going darker but if we totally go off center the EH5000 starts to wash out but the TN monitor just dims a bit, not such a big issue since Its giving me better 'actual' usable viewing angles.

My input lag test images are quite dim as my camera is not really that good with fast images, but it clearly shows 27~30ms of input latency compared to the TN monitor, actual game test with both side by side shows no perceivable difference in BF3 and Crysis 2.

Im just using the TV as a PC monitor, all of my audio is done by my Z-5500 which is connected to my computer. Warm1 is turns whites into yellows while Warm2 is just plainly unusable for me. Im guessing this is all about factory calibration. There are no energy star logo's on my TV menu.

How do you get into the service menu ?

The energy star logo only shows, if I remember correctly, when you change the picture mode. One of the selections in this menu will have the logo next to it.

Entering the service menu does reset most of the picture settings to defaults, so you will have to redo them.

Service Menu:

1. TV turned off
2. Press 'Mute' then '182' then 'Power' buttons on the remote.

Then use the thumb pad to navigate and select like the other menus. Be careful here. I would make sure that you memorize or write down any selection you see before you hit any button because it is easy to hit a button thinking you are navigating, but that will actually change the value. It does not take an explicit select to change a value. I do not remember exactly what buttons do what, but GENERALLY the thumb pad does what you would expect.

I managed to mess mine up the first time I went in because I was following instructions for another model that said use the volume and channel buttons and that you had to push a certain button to change something. I managed to change the panel description (or something close to this) to something different and this broke the 4:4:4 support. I had to go to Best Buy and check one of their units to get the correct value.

I would wait for other reviews. The picture settings claimed to be used in the review for the best picture quality, were ludicrous.
Backlight: Maximum, Contrast: Maximum. Can you say burn my retinas?

He must have forgotten to remove his 3D sunglasses when he did the calibration.

Actually, at least to my eyes, the settings used in that review are NOT ludicrous. I turned up the backlight on my EH5000 last night from the default 12 in standard mode to 20, and the picture was significantly improved and NOT too bright at all--and my retinas remain completely unsinged. Also, it was in a dark room, and I wasn't wearing these---->

While a maximum backlight setting might not make sense for other TVs, it seems to work well with the new EH series. Perhaps it has something to do with the direct-lit--as opposed to edge-lit--LED system in this series, and the diffuser it uses with fewer LEDs.

But again, based on my own observation, the maximum setting of 20 for the backlight in the EH series is not as crazy as it might sound at first blush, at least in standard mode.

The inputs other than PC have a Color Space setting to use Auto or Native.

Yes, but I then I have to switch modes when watching a movie and then lose the crispness that the 4:4:4 brings. So overall, I just leave it in PC mode. I haven't played around a lot here. I do know that the 4:4:4 support makes everything much sharper and does not make a ton of difference movie color wise. I could calibrate using the computer playing movies which would get the movies right, but perhaps at the expense of other computer content.

Yes, but I then I have to switch modes when watching a movie and then lose the crispness that the 4:4:4 brings. So overall, I just leave it in PC mode. I haven't played around a lot here. I do know that the 4:4:4 support makes everything much sharper and does not make a ton of difference movie color wise. I could calibrate using the computer playing movies which would get the movies right, but perhaps at the expense of other computer content.

Ideally, 4:4:4 with auto color space is what I want.

I havent seen a way to get 4:4:4 with Auto color space be cause its defaulted to native in PC mode but if you do find a way to get both, let us know.

Actually, at least to my eyes, the settings used in that review are NOT ludicrous. I turned up the backlight on my EH5000 last night from the default 12 in standard mode to 20, and the picture was significantly improved and NOT too bright at all--and my retinas remain completely unsinged. Also, it was in a dark room, and I wasn't wearing these---->

While a maximum backlight setting might not make sense for other TVs, it seems to work well with the new EH series. Perhaps it has something to do with the direct-lit--as opposed to edge-lit--LED system in this series, and the diffuser it uses with fewer LEDs.

But again, based on my own observation, the maximum setting of 20 for the backlight in the EH series is not as crazy as it might sound at first blush, at least in standard mode.

What really hurts is the contrast set to maximum. That's what makes face flesh tones of people look like they've been embalmed.

You might want to check if you had the Motion Lighting set to On. If you did, the backlight wasn't really at 20 in a dark room. Motion Lighting is only available in Standard mode. The name of that setting may be confusing, since it has nothing to do with motion. It automatically adjusts the backlight in response to ambient room lighting. Also check the Eco setting referred to a couple posts down.

Disclaimer: I don't endorse any particular brand. Purchasing electronics is a compromise.
Brand selection may not be a main consideration.

Yes, the Eco Sensor also adjusts the backlight, but only dims it between the backlight setting and the selected minimum.

The 4 and 5 series (4000, 4050, 5000, 5050 & 5070) share many of the same features. Both the 4 & 5 series have a setting under Advanced Settings called Motion Lighting (On/Off). From the user manual, "When on, the TV automatically adjusts the brightness of the screen in response to the brightness of the room. In bright light, the screen brightens. In dim light, the screen dims." This could actually adjust the backlight brighter than the backlight setting.

The 4 series doesn't have the Eco Sensor (On/Off) setting that you are referring to. It does have energy saving Eco Sensor settings.

Disclaimer: I don't endorse any particular brand. Purchasing electronics is a compromise.
Brand selection may not be a main consideration.

What really hurts is the contrast set to maximum. That's what makes face flesh tones of people look like they've been embalmed.

You might want to check if you had the Motion Lighting set to On. If you did, the backlight wasn't really at 20 in a dark room. Motion Lighting is only available in Standard mode. The name of that setting may be confusing, since it has nothing to do with motion. It automatically adjusts the backlight in response to ambient room lighting.

Nope--I have "motion lighting" set to off (and have since I got it). I also have the Eco sensor off. But I do have the color level dialed down a bit to 45. It works for me with the content and sources I've been watching.

Obviously, it's a matter of personal preference, and there is no one setting that's right for all viewers and all video sources and content at all times. But my point is that the maximum backlight setting on the EH series, in combination with the other settings I currently have in standard mode, is not insanely bright (and I don't normally have the backlight set to maximum on other televisions).

Yes, the Eco Sensor also adjusts the backlight, but only dims it between the backlight setting and the selected minimum.

The 4 and 5 series (4000, 4050, 5000, 5050 & 5070) share many of the same features. Both the 4 & 5 series have a setting under Advanced Settings called Motion Lighting (On/Off). From the user manual, "When on, the TV automatically adjusts the brightness of the screen in response to the brightness of the room. In bright light, the screen brightens. In dim light, the screen dims." This could actually adjust the backlight brighter than the backlight setting.

The 4 series doesn't have the Eco Sensor (On/Off) setting that you are referring to. It does have energy saving Eco Sensor settings.

Ok then motion lighting is brightness level, its something I dont want the TV to automatically change.

Has anyone notice a slight viewing angle "cone" on the 32" when your sitting 3ft away from it, all 4 corners seem to 'wash' out unless you move further back. Noticeable when using it as a PC monitor but not very noticeable in movies.

I just have to come in and express my disappointment for this set. Was watching a number of different channels last night and noticed, especially on movies, there is a LOT of blurring, ghosting, tracing....whatever you want to call it. I mean, its terrible. Not B panel terrible, but pretty bad. My LN40C630 has a better picture then this one in terms of of this problem. I ordered mine from Dell and i dont know what the panel is on it yet...but maybe I got a bad one (i know some are better than others).

Anyhow, I dont know if anyone else has this issue, but Id thought I would pass it along.

I played with the contrast while viewing a mainly white background and noticed that going over the default of 95 seemed to change the color temperature. The white turned much more blue at 97. I did not see any contrast gain either over 95, so back to 95.

I played with the contrast while viewing a mainly white background and noticed that going over the default of 95 seemed to change the color temperature. The white turned much more blue at 97. I did not see any contrast gain either over 95, so back to 95.

I played with the contrast while viewing a mainly white background and noticed that going over the default of 95 seemed to change the color temperature. The white turned much more blue at 97. I did not see any contrast gain either over 95, so back to 95.

PC mode, standard, backlight 20, brightness 45, sharpness 50

Probably the gray scale being affected. On my PC with an NVIDIA graphics card, if I went past 93 on the contrast, I got all kinds of pretty colors on a DVE gray scale pattern.

Disclaimer: I don't endorse any particular brand. Purchasing electronics is a compromise.
Brand selection may not be a main consideration.

I just have to come in and express my disappointment for this set. Was watching a number of different channels last night and noticed, especially on movies, there is a LOT of blurring, ghosting, tracing....whatever you want to call it. I mean, its terrible. Not B panel terrible, but pretty bad. My LN40C630 has a better picture then this one in terms of of this problem. I ordered mine from Dell and i dont know what the panel is on it yet...but maybe I got a bad one (i know some are better than others).

Anyhow, I dont know if anyone else has this issue, but Id thought I would pass it along.

I've never had such issues with this set and Im using it as a PC monitor to watch movies and play FPS games.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaeelarr

What is "PC mode"?

Disables a lot of the post processing and makes it suitable for PC usage, also allows 4:4:4 color mode and 0-255 color range, better experience with the HDTV when used as a PC monitor.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beeper

Probably the gray scale being affected. On my PC with an NVIDIA graphics card, if I went past 93 on the contrast, I got all kinds of pretty colors on a DVE gray scale pattern.

I guess the correct question is where can i find this PC mode? Looked everywhere and nothing.

Press menu on the remote, got to source list, choose edit name then goto HDMI1 then choose "PC" or "DVI-PC" gives a better picture quality even for consoles and blueray players. "DVI" mode returns you back to the 'normal' tv mode.